Butera earns Alfred service award

Longtime union and community activist Gertrude Butera became the first-ever woman to earn the Alfred State College Council’s Outstanding Service Award.

Not bad for an 80-something.

Butera, who retired from SUNY Alfred as a professor of business technology in 1990, received her award during a recent reception on campus. In addition to the more than 100 family members, friends and colleagues in attendance, a host of prominent lawmakers and other dignitaries were on hand to congratulate Butera on her wide range of accomplishments.

State Assemblywoman Catherine Young (R-Olean) presented Butera with a proclamation honoring her commitment to public higher ed. “There are people I absolutely love to see in my office,” Young said. “Trudy is one of those people. We need more like her.”

Sen. Patricia McGee (R-Franklinville) — a former student of Butera’s — shared stories and accolades, and Susan Myers, Allegany County legislator, admitted she’d be “proud to follow in (Butera’s) footsteps as a leader of women.”

William Haney, former Allegany County Republican Committee chair who now works in the executive branch, brought best wishes from Gov. George Pataki.

“The governor wants you congratulated — not only on your wonderful career, but on your wonderful life,” he said.

SUNY Alfred President Bill Rezak called Butera “the quintessential role model for retirement.”

Butera, who was presented with a Steuben crystal bowl, said her dreams and her goals were attained when she came to SUNY Alfred. “Dreams do come true; goals can be achieved, whether they are realized or not,” she said. College Council Chair Gus Filbert read the inscription from a plaque that will be displayed at SUNY Alfred: “For her untiring efforts as an ‘ambassador’ for Alfred State; for her unswerving professionalism demonstrated during 16 years as a professor ... ; for her organizational efforts in establishing the SUNY Women’s Council ... ; for her longstanding service to UUP ... ; for her generous gift of the Butera Scholarship in Business Technology; (and) for her dedication to her students. ...”

UUP President William Scheuerman credits Butera with the success of the union’s Link College Scholarship Trust Fund, of which she is an honorary trustee: “Trudy is the bedrock of the Link scholarship. She is pleasant, she is reliable, she is marvelous. And she gets the job done.”

Butera earned the union’s Nina Mitchell Award for Distinguished Service in 1996.

— Karen L. Mattison